Common word› JLPT N4 › Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation 壊す · godan verb (-su)
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 壊こわ す 壊こわ さない Polite 壊こわ します 壊こわ しません Past polite 壊こわ しました 壊こわ しませんでした Past 壊こわ した 壊こわ さなかった Te-form 壊こわ して 壊こわ さないで Desire 壊こわ したい 壊こわ したくない Potential 壊こわ せる 壊こわ せない Passive 壊こわ される 壊こわ されない Causative 壊こわ させる 壊こわ させない Causative passive 壊こわ させられる 壊こわ させられない Volitional 壊こわ そう Polite volitional 壊こわ しましょう Imperative 壊こわ せ 壊こわ すな Conditional 壊こわ せば 壊こわ さなければ Tara conditional 壊こわ したら 壊こわ さなかったら
Pairs with 壊れる › Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 を 壊こわ す to demolish or tear down a building/structure
They tore down the old house and built a new apartment.
計けい 画かく を 壊こわ す to ruin a plan
His one remark ended up ruining the travel plan.
関かん 係けい を 壊こわ す to ruin a relationship
A small misunderstanding ended up ruining their relationship.
Expressions 体からだ を 壊こわ す harm one's health; ruin one's health 腹はら を 壊こわ す get an upset stomach; have diarrhea Kanji 壊 demolition, break, destroy Transitive / intransitive Related words· 10 壊す is the everyday verb for breaking something, while 破壊する is a more formal, forceful word often used for large-scale or complete destruction.
For breaking a large bill into smaller money, 崩す is the more standard verb, while 壊す is also used but less common in this sense.
壊す can mean to ruin an overall condition, mood, or plan, while 傷つける specifically means to hurt someone's feelings or damage a reputation.
壊す is the general word for breaking or damaging something, while 潰す specifically suggests crushing or flattening it out of shape.
Show 6 more Show fewer 壊す means to break something destructively (like a machine or object), while 折る specifically means to snap something along a joint or line, or to fold it.
壊す means to break or destroy something so it stops functioning, while 砕く focuses specifically on smashing something into small pieces or powder.
壊す emphasizes breaking something into pieces or rendering it non-functional, while 破る often implies tearing or ripping a flexible material.
壊す means 'to break' or destroy something completely, while 痛める (in its damage sense) implies lesser harm like spoiling or weakening without full destruction.
壊す usually means to physically break an object, while 滅ぼす refers to the complete downfall of an abstract or large-scale entity like a country.
壊す means to physically break or destroy something, while 乱す is about disrupting order or arrangement, not necessarily breaking it.
Opposites 壊す means to break or damage something, while 直す means to fix or repair it back to normal.
壊す means to destroy or break something, the opposite of 作り上げる 's sense of building something up to completion.
作る means to build or construct something, while 壊す means to break or destroy it.
壊す means to destroy or break something, contrasting with 築き上げる 's meaning of constructing it up from nothing.
Don't confuse with 壊す means to break or ruin something in a general sense, while 潰す emphasizes crushing, flattening, or causing something to collapse entirely.
壊す means to physically break or destroy something, whereas 狂わす means to disrupt its normal function or a person's sanity without necessarily damaging it physically.
Word family· 10 destruction; demolition; smashing apart · spoiling; ruining
demolition; dismantling; tearing down
destroy; smash; break by striking · ruin; spoil; wreck
demolish; tear down; pull down
destruction; demolition; smashing apart · uchikowashi riots; Edo-period destructive urban riots
Show 5 more Show fewer destroyer; wrecker; ruiner
destroy; smash; break violently · ruin; spoil; wreck (non-physical)
smash; break by hitting; demolish
destroy; break; smash; knock down · ruin; wreck; overthrow; dismantle
scratch open; scratch off
Written forms 壊こわ す Usage 78%
Standard common spelling for the transitive verb meaning to break, destroy, damage, or spoil something.
こわす Usage 21%
毀こわ す Usage 1%
Rare alternative kanji spelling, mainly for destruction or damage; 壊す is the normal modern spelling.
Etymology Native Japanese verb こわす written with 壊 , a kanji conventionally associated with breaking or destruction. The historical derivation is not specified.
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